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Perfect Vison4 Out Of 5 Stars
20/20 were one of those millions of pop bands that was springing up around the same time as Motels, Plimsouls, The Knack and the whole high-energy scene. This two-fer finally re-invites the folks who didn't get the Oglio version a few years back (and was fetching outrageous prices) to hear one of the best of the Los Angeles bands from that era all over again. Adding a pair of B-Sides from the "Look Out" period, and this is essentially every song 20/20 released during their tenure on Portrait/Epic records.
The calling card of their first album remains the nervous wind-up of "Yellow Pills," which picked up plenty of airplay on Alternative Rockers like KROQ and still makes Power Pop compilations today. Ron Flynt and Steve Allen were Tulsa transplants that had worked themselves into a formidable songwriting team, which leaves such undiscovered gems like "Ride The Lightning" or "Cheri" overshadowed by the more famous songs. But 20/20 had the same worldview as fellow Okies Dwight Twilley and Phil Seymour in that a Midwestern sound filled with energy and a love of British pop could carry a good song a long distance. Add a new-wave synth or two and you were getting some power-pop brilliance.
According to the liner notes, "20/20" was recorded in a matter of weeks. The followup, "Look Out," took over a year. It also marked some changes for the band, with original drummer Mike Gallo out and Joel Turrisi in, the sound was also shifting. The energy was still there but a more American outlook was entering. The harmonies were even tighter and the lyrical content was taking on a darker tone. I was fortunate enough to interview Steve Allen when the album was released and he pointed out that the death of John Lennon and world turmoil informed the mood of the album.
Produced by Richard Polodor (who was helming some great bands in this period), there was no mistaking that the band had tightened up. "Nuclear Boy" and "Beat City" were vibrant looks at the world, while "Mobile Unit 245" and "The Night I Heard a Scream" looked towards life's tragic moments. While the nervous energy that fueled the first album was tempered, the songs were way more gripping and (like "American Dream") more experimental. They'd matured rapidly into their power-pop shoes. I still think it's a better album than the debut, though there are some who will disagree.
Together, however, "20/20-Look Out" would please any fan of Shoes, Motels, Plimsouls and bands of their ilk. From the label Real Gone Music, who recently issued the Shoes anthology, these guys took care to master the disc well and get liner notes from Steve Allen, Ron Flynt and Chris Silagyi, along with some cool blast from the past artwork and pictures. Now if only The Producers' two Portrait albums could get the same treatment, I'd be in Power Pop heaven.
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